Combined information and advertising device.



W. H. OONBBY. COMBINED INFORMATION AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 26, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

LIEIIEI QQEQ m Iv m J m 7 M a m 9 5 a 7 I I-Jlu MT I W I b U I/witnesses W. H. GONEBY. COMBINED INFORMATION AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 26, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wibneooea UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. CONEIBY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE; FOURTH T0 JOHN F. ROBB, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

COMBINED INFORMATION AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. CoNEBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Combined Informationand Advertising Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in its broader aspect to changeable exhibitors and comprises essentially the association with a cabinet of drawers, or the like, of an exhibitor containing information as to the contents of the drawers, such exhibitor also comprising one or more signs or equivalent devices which are adapted to be operated by reason of the connection to the drawers of said cabinet.

Means in accordance with the above invention are particularly advantageous as a combination information and advertising device in that the combined cabinet and exhibitor is especially useful in public places suchas stores, depots, large buildings, and

the like, to furnish information to the public generally along different lines, and at the same time as said information is being procured, to provide an advertising device operable by certain drawers of the cabinet when opened or closed.

It is contemplated that one or more of the signs above mentioned shall be provided and preferably separate signs are used for the separate drawers, the arrangements and connections being such that when any one or more of the drawers are pulledout for the purpose of consulting information or other data therein, a sign or signs connected with said drawer will be operated in such a manner as to cause it to be presented to view at a suitable vision opening provided for the purpose.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 26, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Serial No. 656,906.

thus affording along with the advertising device, a means whereby attention may be attracted to the indicia or information carried by the several parts of the changeable exhibitor.

For a full understanding of the present invention, reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a combined cabinet and exhibitor comprislng the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the exhibitor alone. Fig. 3 is a rear View of the exhibitor showing the back plate removed and certain parts in section. Fig. 4 is a section taken about on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken about on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a. fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing a modified form of take-up for the connection between the exhibitor signs and drawers of the cabinet.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Specifically describing the invent-ion, 1 denotes a cabinet which, in general form is of that ordinary type comprising a plurality of drawers 2 and 3 arranged in vertical tiers. If desired, the cabinet 1 may be supported by a' stand 4, but the latter may be readily dispensed with, within the contemplation of the invention, the latter involving particularly the peculiar association and connections between the exhibitor 5 and the drawers of the cabinet 1.

The exhibitor 5 is composed of a suitable casing provided with a glass, or equivalent transparent front portion 6 and containing therein a plurality of movable 'signs fi, one of which is preferably provided foreach one of the drawers 2 and 3. It is *to be understood that any exhibiting devices, or means equivalent to the signs 7 may be employed within the scope of the present invention and the term sign, as used herein is intended to comprehend such equivalent means. Each of the signs 7 is supported in the casing of the exhibitor 5 between the transparent front 6 and a suitable partition 8, guides 9 being employed to properly control the vertical movement of the sign when actuated by the drawers 2 and 3 connected thereto. 1 As shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

each sign has flexible connections 10 attached to it at its opposite end portions and said connections lead to a pulley or equiva lent part 11 about which an operating'connection 12 consisting of a cord, wire, or the like, passes. The operating connection 12 extends over the pulley 11 through a suitable eye or guide 13, over asecond pulley 1 1 and is secured at 15 to the back of the partition 8. The pulley 14 is carried by a spring take-up 16 which is attached at one end to the base portion of the exhibitor 5. The end of the connection 12 opposite that shown at 15 is attached to one of the drawers of the cabinet 1, and to enable this arrangement to be made, the top of the cab1- net is provided with an opening 17 through which the connection 12 passes to the point of attachment 15 on the inner end of the drawer shown at 18 in Fig. 4. In the drawings,four of the signs or devices 7 are provided, one for each of the drawers 2 and 3, the connections 12 being arranged in pairs in rear of the partition 8, and each pair being connected to the adjacent one of the vertical tiers of drawers 2 and 3.

It is contemplated that the partition 8 may be provided upon its outer or front side with a permanent sign shown at 19 in Fig. 2, said sign being just in rear of a vision opening 20 formed in the front 21 of the exhibitor 5. Above the vision opening 20 aforesaid is an advertising device which comprises the representation of a human head, shown at 22, the latter being on the front 21 of the exhibitor which is provided with openings 23 which form the eyes of the representation 22. In rear of the front 21 is a movable member shown clearly at 2 1 in Fig. 6, said member having illustrative matter thereon to represent the eyes of the figure or head 22, said member 2 1 being, however, normally in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6, whereby said figure22 is represented normally as asleep. At its lower end, the member 24,- has an arm 25 arranged in the path of movement of the signs 7 and adapted to be struck as said signs are raised into visible positions, the member 24: being thus simultaneously raised to provide an action indicative of the opening of the eyes of the representation 22.

At one side of the casing of the exhibitor 5 is provided an indicator consisting pref erably of an arm 26 shaped to represent a hand, this arm beingcarried by a vertical guide 27 longitudinally of which it-is adapted" to freely move. Normally the indicator 26 points to the stationary or permanent sign on the front of the partition 8 but when one of the drawers 2 or 3 is pulled outwardly to its limit of movement, the

elevation of the sign 7 connected therewith causes the latter to strike a cross-piece 26 which supports the indicator 26, thereby raising the latter into a position in which it points to the sign just elevated.

It is preferred that the signs 7 shall each comprise a rectangular base of metal, or the like, with flanges on three edges, one vertical edge being without a flange so that printed indicia on card-board or paper may be inserted and engaged with said base through a suitable opening shown at 5 in Fig. 1. It is to be understood, of course, that the members 25 and. 26' are in the path of movement of all of the signs 7, and describing generally the operation of the invention, when one of the drawers 2 is pulled out by a person desiring to obtain information from the cards or other means contained in said drawer, an immediate pull is exerted upon the operating connection 12 and the flexible parts 10, this pull tending to raise one of the signs 7 until the latter reaches a point in frontof the vision opening 20 where said sign covers the permanent sign on the front of the partition 8, and is broughtto the view of the person operating the drawer. Since the movement of the drawer is necessarily greater than the limited movement of the sign 7, the take-up 16 is provided and may be in the form of a. spring as shown in Fig. 3, or of a weight 16 shown in Fig. 7, said take-up permitting of the initial movement of the drawer and sign 7 simultaneously and subsequent movement of the drawer independently of the sign, whereupon the take-up accommodates for the latter movement. As the sign 7 is raised in the above manner, it strikes the member 26 and raises the indicator 26 into a new position, the final movement of the sign causing it to engage the arm 25 so as to raise the movable member 24: of the advertising device, causing operation of the latter.

Means equivalent to the parts 24 and 26 may be substituted for said devices in accordance with the invention, as will be readily appreciated.

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed as new is:

1. In a combined information and advertising device, the combination of a cabinet, drawers mounted therein, an exhibitor comprising a plurality of signs independently connected with and operable by the drawers, and an advertising device operable by any one of said signs in its movement.

2. In a combined information and advertising device, the combination of a cabinet, a stationary sign thereon, drawers mounted therein, an exhibitor comprising a plurality of movable signs independently connected with and operable by the drawers, and an indicator normally associated with the starnoaaaoa tionary sign operable by said movable signs to cooperate with the latter on actuation of any one of the same.

3. In a combined information and advertising device, the combination of a cabinet, drawers mounted therein, an exhibitor comprising a plurality of signs independently connected with and operable by the drawers, an advertising device associated with said signs, means connected with said advertising device whereby it may be operated on actuation of any of the signs, an indi cat-0r associated with the signs, and means connected with the indicator whereby it may be operated by any one of the signs.

4. In a combined information and advertising device, the combination of a cabinet embodying a compartment and a movable part whereby access may be had to said compartment, an exhibitor consisting of a casing having a vision opening, a stationary sign at said vision opening, a movable sign connected with the movable part and operable thereby to assume a position in front of the vision opening, an advertising device in said casing operable by said movable sign, and a movable indicator arranged to coact with the stationary and movable signs and operable by the movable sign when the latter is actuated.

5. In a combined information and advertising device, the combination of a cabinet composed of a plurality of compartments adapted to contain information, movable parts whereby access may be had to said compartments, an exhibitor com rising a casing, movable signsin said casing, connections between said signs and movable parts and having a certain amount of slack in their length, and take-ups separate from and cooperating with said connections permitting movement of the movable parts simultaneously with and independently of said signs.

6. In a combined information and advertising device, the combination of a cabinet comprising a plurality of drawers, a stationary sign on said cabinet, an exhibitor consisting of a plurality of movable signs connected with and operable by the drawers on movement of the latter, an advertising device consisting of a movable element arranged in the path of movement of the signs for actuation by the latter, and an indicator mounted on the exhibitor and normally coacting with the stationary sign, and means connected with the indicator in the path of movement of the movable signs for moving the indicator into cooperation with an operated movable sign.

7. In a combined information and advertising device, the combination of a cabinet comprising a plurality of drawers, an exhibitor mounted on the cabinetand comprising a casing having a vision opening and provided with a stationary sign at said opening, signs slidable vertically in the casing,fiexible connections between the drawers and the signs whereby as a drawer is opened, a sign connected therewith will be raised in front of the vision opening, an advertising device above the slidable signs and having an arm adapted to be engaged by the latter for raising said device into an operative position, and an indicator slidable vertically in the casing of the exhibitor and normally associated with the permanent sign an arm engageable by any oneof the movable signs whereby on actuation of the latter the indicator will be associated with the actuated movable sign.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. CONEBY.

Witnesses:

H. O. Roma,- G. 0. Ross.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

